DUNEDIN, FLA.—Overall, Thursday went smoothly for Blue Jay R.A. Dickey as he made his first start of the spring, pitching two innings vs. the Phillies, allowing one unearned run and throwing 38 pitches.

The 39-year-old starting ace was throwing to yet another catcher he has never worked with in a game. The new guy, Erik Kratz, is hoping to caddy full-time for the elusive knuckleballer once the season starts. In the afterglow, he was extremely happy with his first hook-up with Dickey.

Obtained from the Phillies over the winter, Kratz is now one of three catchers in camp with experience catching Dickey, along with Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas. By decree of manager John Gibbons, Kratz will continue to catch Dickey. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Thole, who has caught 565 2/3 of Dickey’s 1,284 major-league innings, 300 more than any other receiver, is in an unenviable position. Others need to play. Starter Dioner Navarro needs to familarize himself with all of the potential starters and the Jays want to see what Kratz can do with the knuckleball. Thole is left with the scraps.

“Same place it put me last year, essentially,” Thole said in comparing the two springs, referring to 2013 when Henry Blanco broke camp as Dickey’s personal catcher. “I’ve taken my time (this spring) to pretty much spend all my time catching conventional (pitchers). I’m able to hone that in, get that locked in while I have the time, and then whatever happens is completely out of my control.”

For two seasons before coming to the Jays, Thole had started more than 100 games behind the plate for the Mets. Last year he began at Triple-A Buffalo and got the mid-season callup after Blanco was released by the Jays. Thole hit only .175 in 45 games with a minuscule .497 OPS.

“When I was in New York, I was catching every day essentially,” Thole said. “I feel like I lost that edge just not being able to be an everyday catcher. At the end of the day that’s what I want to do.

“(Being a personal catcher) doesn’t last forever. R.A.’s getting older. I’m still young. I still have a lot of time. So if I spend all my time catching the knuckleball and lose all my time catching the conventional guys, then all of a sudden I’ve really shortened my career. At the end of the day I want to be an everyday catcher. That’s what it comes down to. Whether I am or not, if I’m a backup catcher, that’s fine, but I want to train myself and train my body to become an everyday catcher.”

Thole’s offensive numbers last year were a career aberration. His lifetime average is .251, with a total of eight homers, 95 RBIs and a .645 OPS in 353 major-league contests. The odds are that Kratz will get the first chance to catch Dickey’s starts. But given history, the chances of the 30-year-old Navarro catching as many games as J.P. Arencibia a year ago are slim. Navarro has never made as many as 113 starts in any MLB season.

“Me and J.P. were the same age,” Thole said. “As you get older, you’re not going to be as durable. (Dioner’s) goal, I’m sure, is the same thing, catch 120 games or whatever.

“If I spent (March) with R.A. chasing him around, catching his knuckleballs and all that and I haven’t been able to lock in my other catching and all of a sudden you have to catch a conventional pitcher, it’s like, ‘Oh wow.’ It’s a confidence thing for me more than anything. It definitely broadens my familarity with all the other guys, which is great. For myself, it’s about having the confidence when I get back behind the plate and know that there’s going to be no issue, no matter who’s on the mound.”

Navarro, who has played with the Rays, Dodgers, Reds, Cubs and now the Jays since 2010, knows that he needs to play in as many spring games as possible, especially whenever one of the regular starters is on the mound. He needs to build familiarity.

“I’ve been with four different teams in the last four years, so (playing more) can help a little bit,” Navarro said. “That’s what spring training is for. I’m just working hard to get to know my guys. Any time they put me out there, I’ll do my job. (The number) is up to them. I can’t control that. I just control the controllables and whenever my name is called, be ready for it.”

For Thole, his biggest asset needs to be patience. He insists that, despite the guaranteed contract that gives him $2.5 million for 2013-14, the only place to be as a ballplayer is the major leagues. As such, he gets to the ballpark early each day, works with catching instructor Sal Fasano on his mechanics when the cages are empty, and waits for his MLB opportunity.

“There’s no question, in order for me to make this team I’m going to have to show I have my swing back,” Thole said. “I’m completely aware of that, however in my mind it’s what we do to get prepared for those games and it’s all the stuff we do in the morning, and I think that is valuable to me. That’s the stuff that is valuable because when I get in a game it becomes second nature to me.”

Don’t be fooled by Thole’s low spring training numbers and game appearances. He’s the one catcher Gibbons knows well. Navarro and Kratz need the reps. Thole needs to relearn handling conventional pitchers and await his chance.

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